He said it had been during a routine check that council officers had found droppings "on drink cans which would be directly consumed by the clientele and which would create an imminent risk to human health".

Magistrates approved the application for an emergency hygiene prohibition order.

Mr Abraham said the health inspectors would keep in close contact with snack bar owner and it would only be allowed to re-open once they were "content the health risk had gone away".

A spokeswoman for Merseyrail said: "Merseyrail works hard to ensure that the property we lease meets the highest standards of cleanliness and it is unfortunate that this cafe, which we sub-let, has had to close under such circumstances."